The present invention relates primarily to systems for moving a read and/or record means across media, and in particular, to systems for moving an optical head or portions thereof across a media.
Most read/record heads today are used with either a disk or a magnetic tape. For disk drives, a magnetic media in the shape of a phonograph record is spun at high speeds while an actuator arm is swung across the media in the manner of a phonograph record arm. Typically, these heads will pivot on an arm about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the media and outside the perimeter of the media. Some head actuators use a linear movement to cross the spinning media.
Optical disk drives are constructed in a similar manner, the optical head does not need to be positioned as close to the media surface. For tape players, the tape itself is rolled past a stationary head.